Latin colour words — Classical languages, 4–6 years
Latin names for colours can label a Roman picture. We meet them as small clues on old objects and in the names of plants and animals.
A Latin word can name a colour
Romans had words for colours, just as we do. Ruber meant red, albus meant white, and niger meant black. When we learn one of these words, we can attach it to a coloured tile, picture or object.
Why name colours?
A colour word helps people point to the same thing without carrying it over. A painter, seller or storyteller could say that a cloak was red, or that a wall was white. The word solved a simple problem: how to share what the eyes could see.
Match ruber to red
First, look at three cards: a red apple, a white shell and a black stone. Next, say the Latin clues: ruber, albus, niger. Finally, place ruber beside the red apple. You have used the word by matching its sound to the colour you can see.
Do not trust a familiar-looking word
Niger may remind you of a modern word such as “night”, so you might guess its colour from the sound. That is a reasonable shortcut, but sounds can mislead us. Check the picture or the group of words: niger means black, while albus means white.
Colours hide in names
Latin colour words sometimes live inside the names of plants and animals. Rubus, the name of a blackberry plant, is linked to ruber, red, while albus appears in names such as albino. These clues can help us notice where old Latin is still being used.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…